Hey! Listen to Eye of the Enemy!

Hailing from Melbourne, Australia, Eye of the Enemy have been flying under the radar for some time now. Formed in 2006, their second album, The Vengeance Paradox, was released quite recently, in 2014. The band expertly couple the groove of Lamb of God with the sheer ferocity of At the Gates, this fusion of groove metal with melodic death metal is the perfect remedy for anyone in need of an aggressive outlet. Head on over the jump for a taste and more thoughts on just what exactly makes these guys stand out above the crop.

Thankfully, Eye of the Enemy take more from the bands mentioned above than their musical direction alone, for an undoubted highlight of the record is the excellent lyricism on display. I’m the first to admit that much of the time I pay little attention to lyrics, instead choosing to engage with the artist on an entirely musical level. Yet, The Vengeance Paradox’s lyrics not only captured my attention, they went beyond that. Truly connecting with me on an emotional level, they elevated the record to a point where I count it amongst my favourite releases of recent times.

At just over 36 minutes in length, the album is concise and each song packs a punch. They get in, tear you to pieces, clean up what’s left and then move onto the next track. Such brevity helps ensure that, despite the violence of their music, the listener does not feel fatigued at any stage, instead keeping them fresh and hungry for more. Indeed, whenever I hear the final pulses of the closing track, my overarching feelings are best summarised by: ‘that was awesome, let’s do that again!’. Here’s hoping you feel the same way, so check out their latest offering on bandcamp below, and don’t forget to follow the band on Facebook too.